2019 Year at a Glance: The Versatile Helicopter
For more than 75 years, civil and military rotorcraft have made incredible contributions to society
The wide-ranging versatility of the helicopter and other rotorcraft is depicted in this photo montage starting with the upper left photo of a Focke-Achgelis Fa 223 carrying an artillery piece as an external load in the mid-1940s.
The remaining photos represent the rotorcraft’s role in performing early helicopter flight testing, heavy lift, amphibious capability, astronaut/spaceship recovery, combat medical evacuation, power line construction, Presidential transport, law enforcement, firefighting, civil humanitarian relief, power line inspection and unmanned operations
In the bottom right image, an AgustaWestland AW139 carries an Aston Martin Vanquish exotic car to the Burj Al Arab hotel helipad in Dubai.
Future roles and missions for this versatile multi-role machine can only still be imagined.
Collage: Ken Bartie
Text: Ken Bartie
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2019 History Calendar Index